Ballast water regulations

[Viking Warrior]

The issue of ballast water is now a major issue up here.

 

Given the issues on the other thread about climatic change, I wonder what peoples thoughts are on ballast water change having an impact on our environment,

 

Has the the ecology of our seas already been damanged and this goes back at least a century when vessel routinely sailed round the globe

 

Certainly Since the introduction of steel hulled vessels around 120 years ago, water has been used as ballast to stabilize vessels at sea. While ballast water is essential for safe and efficient modern shipping operations, it may pose serious ecological, economic and health problems due to the multitude of marine species carried in ships’ ballast water. These include bacteria, microbes, small invertebrates, eggs, cysts and larvae of various species. The transferred species may survive to establish a reproductive population in the host environment, becoming invasive, out-competing native species and multiplying into pest proportions.

 

This was first recognised that the sign alien species Scientists first recognized the signs of an alien species introduction after a mass occurrence of the Asian phytoplankton algae Odontella (Biddulphia sinensis) in the North Sea in 1903. But it was not until the 1970s that the scientific community began reviewing the problem in detail. In the late 1980s, Canada and Australia were among countries experiencing particular problems with invasive species

 

Not that I recall but were there any major concerns in the 50-70's re invasive species occuring in the solent during that period.

 

Were we not one of the first countries to sail in a steel hulled boat to the other sides of the world, and were we one of the first nations to export invasive species else where.

 

People are worrying about invasive species here but how much sewage is pumped into our waters around the uk

[StDunko]

In my job I sometimes have to deal with problems related to invasive species (usually plants like japanese knotweed and Giant Hogweed) and I also hear about the carnage things like signal crayfish are causing, so can understand why restrictions are needed.

 

I also undertake a lot of work regarding sewage pollution of coastal waters and I would suggest that may not be as big a problem as many people think. Waste water treatment technology has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, with nutrient stripping and UV treatment now common. Water quality around our bathing beaches is certainly better now than 20 years ago.

 

Plus the sea is nature's sewage treatment works, rain has always washed the excrement of animals from the land into the sea for millions of years (yes we do intensify this somewhat) but there are plenty of microbes and filter feeders that thrive on the nutrients in the diffuse "pollution" flushed into the sea every day.

[Viking Warrior]

stDunko . I had forgotten about Japanese knot weed . I know it's a problem but how big a problem is it our environment ?

[StDunko]

JK is a pain and continues to become more widepsread. There are some novel treatments starting to emerge, including the possible introduction of another invasive species to control it (who knows if that is a good idea)!

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/8293993/Japanese-knotweed-might-just-have-met-its-match.html

[hutch]

JK is a pain and continues to become more widepsread. There are some novel treatments starting to emerge, including the possible introduction of another invasive species to control it (who knows if that is a good idea)!

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/8293993/Japanese-knotweed-might-just-have-met-its-match.html

East Europeans?

 

 

(can I say that on here?)

[buctootim]

East Europeans?

 

 

(can I say that on here?)

 

Yep (but its a bit rich when you're a Brit in South Africa....)

[hutch]

I'm a Bona Fide South African citizen, I'll have you know

Edited 21 November, 2013 by hutch

[Saint-scooby]

Ask the fishermen who drag the Southampton water, there be clams in that water